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Key lessons tourism learnt in 2021 At the beginning of 2020, South Africa’s tourism sector was teetering on a balancing beam. While the domestic travel market had improved in 2019 due to special-offer campaigns, international arrivals in South Africa experienced a decline of 2.3 per cent as a result of a number of factors including water shortages in the Western Cape and safety concerns held by potential visitors to the country. But then, a major disruption suddenly hit the industry in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic, upsetting that delicate balance and plunging the sector into a dark and uncertain period.
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usinesses began to shut their doors, some of them never to open again, planes were left stationary on the tarmac, and people became more acquainted with their homes due to lockdowns, curfews and other travel restrictions. This led to the loss of billions of Rands in revenue and more than 300,000 jobs since the beginning of the pandemic. Now, as the world has slowly begun reopening and travel is back on the cards for many, the tourism and hospitality sector needs to fight the urge to return to the way things were before the word ‘coronavirus‘ was uttered. This includes
rethinking their business models and the way they provide services to guests, hotel owners and staff. Tim Cordon, senior area vice president for the Middle East and Africa at the Radisson Hotel Group, said: “When restrictions on travel and leisure were lifted early in 2021, the South African tourism industry let out a cautious sigh of relief. However, things returning to a sense of normalcy is not a sign that we may become complacent and go back to the way things were because the world, its economies, and people are not the same as they were before the pandemic. The sector needs to take stock of the
36 Business Events Africa December 2021/January 2022
lessons learned over the course of this year and apply them to the transforming industry so as not to only revitalise it but reimagine it.” Here are some of the key lessons learned during 2021 along with insight into leveraging them to build a roadmap to recovery and growth in 2022. Digital is no longer a nice-to-have The Covid-19 pandemic has fast-tracked digital transformation across industries and the tourism sector is no different. Technology is enabling businesses in the sector to tackle the challenges they have long been faced with, as well as those www.businesseventsafrica.com
